Basket.



H. R. GARRITSON.

BASKET.

APPLIQATION FILED JAN. 18,1911.

Patented June 20, 1911.

BASKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 18, 1911.

Patented June 20, 1911.

Serial No. 603,318.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HENRY R. GAnnrrsoN,

.citizen of the United States, residing at Logansport, in the county of Cass and State of Indiana, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements in Baskets, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of the present invention to improve generally the construction of baskets and hampers such, particularly, as are designed for use in carrying or contain ing gross articles, such for example as vegetables, fruit, coal, coke, or in fact any commodity which is weighty and carried in bulk, and in the carrying of which strength of the carrier is a material consideration.

In this connection, the invention aims to provide a simple and inexpensive construction of basket or hamper which will be durable and will not be liable to quickly wear out at the bottom.

Further the invent-ion aims to provide a construction in which the body of the hasket or hamper will not be liable to be torn from its rim or handle.

In actual experience, it has been found that when a basket or hamper of this character is constructed in the usual manner, that is, by interweaving horizontal and vertical strips of rattan or similar material, the vertical strips, at the bottom of the article are liable to soon become worn through, thereby allowing the horizontal strips to separate. At this point it may be stated also that these vertical strips are in no manner reinforced at the bottom of the basket in the ordinary construction.

It is therefore the object of the present invention, in one instance, to provide vertical strips or strands of greater strength than the horizontal strands, and, further, to reinforce the first mentioned strands so that they will not wear out before the horizontal strands. In this manner, I propose to materially add to the life of an article of the kind mentioned. In aiming to provide a basket or hamper having the advantages above mentioned, I have also aimed to accomplish these ends without adding to the weight of the basket, or, more specifically speaking, to provide a reinforcing means which will not add to the weight of the basket, above the weight of the ordinary vertical strips employed.

The invention aims still further to provide, in a basket of the kind menti ned, an

arrangement of vertical strands or strips, or elements corresponding to the vertical strips of the ordinary basket, so connected and arranged as to form a frame upon which the horizontal strips may be readily woven, this frame constituting the skeleton of the basket, and the horizontal strips constituting the body thereof.

A further feature of the invention resides in the manner of securing the upper ends of the vertical strands of the basket to the rim thereof, so that separation of these parts will not be liable to occur.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of the basket, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view, through the bottom of the basket. Fig. 3 is a detail top plan View of the bottom of the basket.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the rim of the basket embodying the present invention and 11 the handle thereof, both of these parts being of the usual form and of the usual material used in their manufacture. At this point it is to be remarked that whereas, in the description of the body of the basket, which is to follow, mention is made of certain specific material other ma terial may as readily be employed if found desirable, so long as the difference in character between the material used in the skeleton or frame of the basket and that used in the body possess the same, or substantially the same, characteristics as the two materials described. Whereas, heretofore, it has been customary to construct the frame of a basket of this kind from strips of wicker, or the like, in the instance of the present invention, these strips are replaced by strands of stout wire which are arranged and connected in a manner which will be now described.

In constructing the basket, a number of the strands, for example, ten of them of the desired length, indicated by the letter S, are arranged side by side and their ends brought into registration. A short length of strap iron is then bent around these strands at a point midway between their ends so that the strands are secured together in the manner illustrated in the drawings. A similar number of like strands are then assembled and connected in the same manner. Then the two wrappings, thus formed and indicated by the numeral 12 are placed one upon the other and a rivet 13 is secured through them in such manner that the wrappings may have relative pivotal movement. They are then turned at right angles and the portions of the strands projecting beyond the wrappings are spread in fan-like manner so that they will radiate from the wrappings, and be equi-distantly spaced. From the wrappings the strands are bent to extend outwardly and downwardly at a greater or less incline as at 14 and are, at a suitable distance beyond the wrappings 12, bent as at 15 to extend substantially vertically as at 16 to formrthe standards of the basket. Strips 17 of slab, rattan, reed, wicker, or straw are then woven through the projecting portions 14, 15, and 16 of the strands S in the same manner as they are usually woven through the vertical strands of the ordinary basket. \Vhen the body of the basket has been thus formed, the rim is applied and the projecting end portions of the strands of wire are bent over the rim as at 18 and clenched as at 19 beneath the lower edge of the rim.

A staple 20 secures each end of the handle 11 to the rim 10.

As heretofore stated, means is provided for materially reinforcing the bottom of the basket and this means is embodied in relatively short lengths 22 of wire which, at their end portions,- are inserted between the woven strips 17. One end of each of these strands is inserted between the strips constituting the sides of the basket and the other end of each strand is inserted between the strips constituting the bottom of the basket. The intermediate portions of these lengths of wire are extended or bowed out beyond the strips constituting the body of the basket. These bowed or projecting portions-of the wires 22 serve to support the bottom of the basket above the ground and prevent wear of the corresponding portions of the strands S.

hat is claimed is:

A basket, comprising a frame consisting of wrappers arranged one above the other in cruciform relation, a set of wire strands passing through each wrapper,- the strands of each set being held by and within the wrappers in close contact with each other, the said strands beyond the ends of the wrappers being separated, strips interwoven with the separated portions of the strands, and a securing device passing transversely through the wrappers and between the intermediate members of both sets of strands and located centrally in the bottom of the basket. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY R. GARRITSON;

WVitnesses:

GEORGE A. CUsrER, TI-IOS. J. MOELHENOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

